


Significant Annoyance

by Yoshishisha



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Medical School AU, POV Fleur Delacour, i mean they're not really enemies more like rivals i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:09:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22731505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yoshishisha/pseuds/Yoshishisha
Summary: Fleur meets a terrible miscreant before her first day of Healer school, and is livid when she realises that man is meant to be her partner for the rest of the year. Maybe first impressions aren't the best though, because as time passes it's hard to remember why she dislikes him so much.
Relationships: Fleur Delacour/Viktor Krum
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5
Collections: Harry Potter Rare Pair Bingo: Round One!





	Significant Annoyance

**Author's Note:**

> This fills square T017 of my hprarepair bingo, which was a Prince and Me AU. Seeing as I have never seen the prince and me, a quick wiki search told me it's about a foreign prince who asked a girl to show him her boobs in a bar, only for her to realise that they go to the same med school or something. In here, Viktor is a Bulgarian prince who asked Fleur to teach him how to kiss in a bar and has been feeling mortified since instead. Enjoy!

This is the last time she’s going out with friends to celebrate the start of a semester, Fleur thinks as she stomps toward her apartment with that man's dumbfounded expression still lingering in her mind. She takes care nonetheless to be quiet as she opens the door to her room; after all, it is late and her roommate Aurélie does not deserve to bear the brunt of her ire. It seems her efforts have been in vain though, for the light turns out right as Fleur tiptoes to her room and Aurélie appears, standing near their shared dresser.

“Now what kind of trouble has my precious little flower gotten into this time?”

The sound of her native language when she's gotten used to hearing English all the time doesn’t help to lift Fleur mood, and she very pointedly doesn’t roll her eyes. They’re not even dating anymore, but the older girl still hasn’t given up on using that nickname for Fleur, and nothing seems likely to dissuade her at this point. (Fleur doesn’t feel fond of that nickname, she doesn’t. At all!)

“I’ll have you know that I _avoided_ trouble today,” she says instead of protesting the nickname, which was undoubtedly Aurélie’s goal. She drop her purse on her bedside table and lets herself fall over the covers after. “I didn’t even punch that- that-“ Fleur looks for a word good enough to express her utter disdain, but eventually gives up. “That imbecilic slug of a boy!”

With a grunt of rage, Fleur turns over to punch her pillow, immediately feeling better. Maybe she can imagine it is that stranger's face she is punching, the way she had wanted to after he asked her to teach him how to kiss. She drops heavily on the bed, not even bothering to avoid the various clothes piled haphazardly on it.

“You’ve never punched anyone in your life Fleur,” Aurélie points out, the ever unwanted voice of wisdom. “You’d have hurt yourself as much as you’d have hurt him.”

“I’ve kicked plenty of people, and if you continue with your unwelcome commentary you’ll be the next,” Fleur grunts into her pillow instead of dignifying that with a calmer answer.

Fleur hears Aurélie laugh, and thus isn’t surprised to feel a dip in her bed before her friend’s fingers begin running through her hair. “See, this is why we broke up: you’re so violent, little flower.”

Fleur doesn’t protest the nickname only because she is too comfortable with her current position to jeopardise it by running her mouth. She’s proven right when Aurélie’s hands continue their motions. “And you should also focus your energy for more positive things, right? Your healer apprenticeship begins tomorrow and I know you’ll feel livid if you lose sleep and get there at anything less than your best because a stupid boy has you out of sorts.”

Aurélie’s words are right as usual, and Fleur is still level-headed enough to see the wisdom in them. She won’t lose sleep over this unfortunate event and hopefully she won’t have to see that boy ever again.

* * *

Of course that uncouth cad is the one in the room when she arrives for her internship assessment the next day.

“Yes, we’ve met already,” Fleur says, with a deliberately cool smile at her fellow student when her supervisor asks, but a polite tone of voice. He might be a cad, but she at least knows how to be professional.

“Oh, but that won’t do,” the Healer interrupts them before the boy can answer. “Healing might be a profession that seems solitary at first glance, but a lot of collaboration is necessary to ensure the adequate running of an institute such as ours. Therefore, the student at your side will become your most trusted confidant and partner for the entire duration of this internship.”

Fleur isn’t certain what her face does, but the other student’s face seems to have frozen in a mask of dread and unease that she feels mirrors her own feelings. He glances at her then quickly looks away, and she huffs, resolving to ignore him as much as possible.

“Go on,” the Healer says again, a wide beaming smile on her face. It's almost aggressively cheerful, and Fleur wonders if she feels relieved at the thought of a good-natured supervisor or exhausted by her enthusiasm. “Introduce yourselves, I’ll start. I am Healer Desrosiers, I like learning and traveling, I dislike lateness and when my cat doesn’t kiss me goodbye before I go to work, and I am here because I would like to impart my knowledge onto the future generation.”

She then gestures towards the two students for them to speak. Fleur does leave ample time for the boy to talk should he wish to, but seeing as he persists in stony silence while avoiding her gaze, she takes charge.

"My name is Fleur Delacour, I like... reading and most people, although I dislike presumptuous people and uncouth behaviour." There she makes sure, not to look at the man at her side, but she's sure he can feel how pointed her words are. With a bit of luck, maybe he'll understand that she doesn't want any further interactions with him. "And I am here because I want to help people recover."

Her supervisor smiles encouragingly, and Fleur likes her already. This would be the perfect assignment, if only... The boy speaks at last, his voice milder and quieter than Fleur had expected. "Viktor Krum. I like sports and family. I dislike being alone."

It's an... abrupt interruption to say the least, and Fleur can't help but expect him to continue. He doesn't, simply staring at Healer Desrosiers, who soon decides to make them visit their new workplace.

Throughout the day and the following week, Fleur keeps observing Krum. She doesn’t know exactly what kind of man she’d expected him to be. Outgoing perhaps, maybe even arrogant considering the abysmal first impression he’d made on her. Instead Krum is just… there. He doesn’t seem to go out of his way to be asocial, but he never approaches anyone first, and doesn’t bring anything to a conversation unless asked either. It takes a few weeks for her to notice, but it really seems like she’s the only one he talks to on a regular basis, and even that is only because they’re partnered for most their work.

He really doesn’t seem to have any friends, and first impressions aside, Fleur doesn’t know how to feel about that. It’s kind of sad after all. He’s quiet as they follow Healer Desrosiers around the hospital, but he’s also serious and diligent, nothing like the man she met so many nights ago. At first, she thinks he’s trying to impress her with his change of attitude, and resolves to not let her guard down. She’s met too many two-faced liars who behave differently in public and in private after all, and won't let herself be tricked by another one...

* * *

Working with Krum isn’t as much of a hassle as she expected it to be despite it all. As… uncouth as he’d been in that first meeting, his work ethic is irreproachable. In fact, if she didn’t have that first impression of him running through her head, she would probably find him as lovely as the rest of the staff seems to. It stings a little to see him so taciturn with her when she’s used to being a social butterfly with just about anyone else, but it doesn’t sting enough for her to take additional steps to solve the issue.

It is as she’s working on literature review, slugging through articles with more and more frustration as none of them even approach what she’s looking for that Fleur finally sees another side of him.

“What’s wrong?” Krum asks, and Fleur is too irritated by her research to even think about being irritated with him.

“None of these people knows how to write a good article,” she says, glaring at the book like she could telepathically set those researchers on fire with her mind. As predicted, nothing happens. Not even the thought of her father’s disappointed face at her behaviour will make her regret the attempt however. If they didn’t want people to curse their names, then they shouldn’t have written a misleading abstract.

“Which subject did you pick?” Krum asks again. Fleur turns to him. She hadn’t expected more than a commiserating groan, based on their previous interactions. He seems sincere though as he stands up from his desk to peer at her screen.

Fleur blinks quickly and focuses back on the text in an attempt to try and ignore how close he is to her. It’s a lost cause, for in that moment, the room seems cooler than usual and the heat of his body all too warm in comparison.

“The one about tissue substitutes. I’ve narrowed it down to a few materials, but I need to ensure none of them interact badly with potion ingredients, especially for internal organ linings. Of course, some of these articles are deliberately obtuse about their findings.” By the time she finishes her speech, Fleur’s irritation with those articles has overwritten her hyperawareness of Krum’s closeness.

He simply hums thoughtfully, and Fleur closes her eyes with a sigh as she realises that he probably doesn’t have anything of value to bring to the table. Not that she expected him to, after. It had been generous enough of him to offer a listening ear and she doesn't expect anything more.

“I think I remember reading someone’s research about that. It’s in Bulgarian, but I can translate it for you.”

Fleur is so stunned by the offer that it takes a few moments for it to register. “You what?” She turns to him, not even registering how close the two of them are in her haste to get answers. “But Bulgarian isn’t even within the scope of most translation spells! And this project is due in three days, you can’t possibly have time to do that on top of your own work.”

Fleur doesn’t know why she’s suddenly attempting to dissuade Krum from attempting to help her, but everything she’s said is accurate and there is simply no way what he’s suggesting is possible. Strangely enough, he looks away, the slightest hint of red on his cheeks.

“I’m Bulgarian,” he mutters in the collar of his shirt, so low that Fleur thinks she’s imagined it for a moment. “And I know a spell that bases itself on my own language knowledge as well, so it will work. And it’s no trouble; you’ll have it by tomorrow.”

Then, under her stunned gaze, he turns on his heels and goes right back to his desk. Fleur stares after him, almost wanting to push some more and get answers. But if he really is helping her, now is not the moment to risk antagonising him and risk losing the faint trace of hope that’s started rising in her chest.

The next day, she finds a book and its translated copy on her desk. Attached to it is a folded note, and Fleur opens it carefully.

 _Sorry for being rude at the bar_ , it reads simply. There's no signature, no further words, but Fleur doesn't doubt who it's from nor its sincerity. She chances a look at Krum's usual seat and isn't surprised to see it empty. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd appreciate effusive gratitude, but she wishes he was there for her to thank him at least. 

Putting the note back on the desk, Fleur sits down to open the offered book. She'll have to do something nice for him in return.


End file.
